Several events have been happening in and around Boston this weekend ahead of the city's 127th marathon on Monday.
The Greg Hill Foundation hosted a 10th anniversary benefit concert featuring the Zac Brown Band at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in an effort to raise one million dollars as the city continues to rally behind the survivors -- forever Boston Strong. The foundation has raised just over $600,000 since the bombing for the Boston Marathon Survivors Fund and continues to support survivors in their recovery.
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"Our hope is to be able to help these marathon survivors in perpetuity. As long as they're here, we're going to be here for them," Greg Hill said.
The former mayor, former governor, former police commissioner and members of the 2013 championship Red Sox team were all on hand to show their support Sunday night.
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It was a star-studded event Sunday night as artists performed to a sold-out show with everyone coming together for one cause -- raising money for the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings, 10 years after the tragedy.
"You can see how the people of Boston turned this around because they've been so kind supporting us," said Carlos Arredondo, the man in the iconic photo known as the hero who helped save lives that day. "I'm very proud today of the survivors for what they've been doing, in particular Jeff Bauman and others who have been going through this nightmare and now they are taking their life in a different way."
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Their lives intertwined forever after two bombs went off near the finish line in 2013, killing three and injuring nearly 300. Patrick Downes is one of those survivors, losing his leg after the attack.
"We cannot underestimate what it has meant for you all to carry use these last 10 years," Downes said at the event. "We are eternally grateful to you for your love."
Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was also at the event, saying, "what's amazing this weekend is all the survivors, what they've accomplished and what they've done."
The “Boston Marathon Golden Retriever Meetup” happened earlier Sunday, and the one-mile walk honored the Boston Marathon dogs who have died, including the beloved brother-sister duo Spencer and Penny.
Spencer became the official dog of the Boston Marathon after a video of him went viral in 2018. The good boy was holding “Boston Strong” flags in his mouth along the rainy route. Both dogs died of cancer earlier this year.
Around 200 dogs walked in their honor from the Park Street station to the finish line. Many of the pups were donning bandanas that say “Golden Strong.” A dollar for every bandana sold went toward the Morris Animal Foundation’s canine cancer research.
Other events Sunday included a private dinner with David Ortiz, who’s serving as Grand Marshal of the race this year. The event is raising money for his fund to help children who need heart surgery.
Although there were plenty of events to attend before the big race, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she will be there cheering for the runners at the finish line on Monday.
“It's going to be a great race on Monday. We are seeing the numbers even bigger, year after year coming out of the pandemic. And so as we welcome the world's greatest athletes to the city, we're also getting the chance to celebrate our own," Wu said. "This will be the first year that the fastest Bostonian award will be given out. So we want to make sure that our Boston residents who are running get a little recognition as well.”
